Mets left-hander Jason Vargas has a non-displaced fracture of the hamate bone in his right hand, the team announced Sunday. Vargas sustained the injury after taking a comebacker off of his hand on Friday and is expected to consult with a hand specialist later today as the team settles on a course of action. Comments from GM Sandy Alderson indicate that surgery is a possibility, though the left-hander may also pitch through it for the time being.

Vargas, 35, signed a two-year, $16 million pact with the team last month. He completed a four-year run with the Royals in 2017, earning his first career All-Star nomination with an 18-11 record in 32 starts and producing a 4.16 ERA, 2.9 BB/9 and 6.7 SO/9 over 179 2/3 innings. Prior to the incident, the southpaw was expected to help fill out the back end of the Mets’ Opening Day rotation.

Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News estimates that Vargas will likely miss the start of the season as he faces a two- to six-week recovery period. It’s a disappointing turn of events for a pitching staff that has been absolutely ravaged by injuries over the last couple of years.

Ramos has been on a rehab assignment with Advanced-A Clearwater, recovering from a strained left hamstring he suffered just ahead of the All-Star break when he was with the Rays. The Phillies acquired him on July 31 prior to the non-waiver trade deadline for a player to be named later.

Prior to the injury, Ramos was batting a healthy .297/.346/.488 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI in 315 plate appearances. His arrival will likely mean back-up catcher Andrew Knapp gets sent down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Ramos could also draw the lion’s share of the playing time behind the plate, bumping first-string catcher Jorge Alfaro down on the depth chart.